Foundation garment



Maly 8, 195i H. M. coLBY F'OUNDTION GARMENT Filed March 19, i948 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Z'ZQZM Kfig@ May 8, 1951 H. M. coLBY FOUNDATION GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 19, 1948 '51.111,4 auf... "...I

IN VEN TOR.

(Zly W f Patented May 8, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to the class of garments and is directed particularly to improvements in girdle or foundation garments.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a girdle or foundation garment having a novel construction, particularly in the top part thereof, whereby the garment will lie smooth and hat against the body of the wearer from the top to the bottom and will effectively resist any tendency to curl or roll at the top edge so that the line of demarcation between the top edge of the garment and the surface of the body of the wearer will not be made apparent by a break in the surface smoothness of the gown of the wearer.

Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide a girdle or foundation garment.

wherein the top of the garment is dei-ined by a relatively wide or deep continuous or unbroken border of relatively heavy elastic material across the outer surface of which extend, in the front part of the garment, pockets of inelastic fabric forming continuations of the inelastic body fabric of the garment, in which extend the upper ends of stiifening stays.

Another object of the invention is to provide a girdle or foundation garment wherein front and rear panels of inelastic fabric material are provided together with a relatively deep bordering top band of relatively heavy elastic fabric, with stiiening stays at the front and back of the garment which extend at their upper ends across the elastic top or waist band, the inelastic front fabric panel of the garment having lying over the inner surface thereof a light weight liner panel which carries the front stays of the garment in pockets secured thereto, such pockets being extended across the front of the elastic waist band.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described since obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a garment constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a view in rear elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail view of the inside of the top portion of the garment.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure l.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary detail of the inside of the back portion of the garment through the spinal area thereof.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings the garment of the present invention comprises the front and rear panels I0 and II of relatively heavy inelastic material and the connecting side panels or hip panels I2 and I3 which are formed of an open weave elastic fabric designed to stretch in two directions.

The front panel I0 is made of two portions a, the'outer halves of the bottom edgesI being cut upwardly on an incline as indicated at b through about half the Width of the portion and then cut upwardly at a sharp angle to the inner edge of the portion as indicated at c'. From the upper ends of the edges c the inner edges of the panel portions a are stitched together along the stitch line I4. Thus the front panel is cut away at its lower edge and the substantially V-shaped space formed between the edges c is filled by the elastic insert or gusset I5. The bottom edge of this elastic gusset or insert is in line across the front of the panel with the inner ends of the edges b.

Overlying or covering the inner surface of the front panel I0 is an inner lamination of inelastic fabric generally designated I6. This inner lamination of fabric I6 is in two portions d corre- Sponding to the portions a of the front panel and the outer edges of these portions together with the outer edges of the portions a of the front panel are stitched along the spaced parallel stitch lines I1 to the adjacent vertical edges of the elastic side panels I2 or I3, adjacent thereto. Likewise the inner and bottom edges of the portions d of the inner lamination I6 are stitched together by the line of stitching I4 and also by the spaced parallel lines of stitching designated The side edges of the back panel II are stitched to the adjacent edges of the elastic side panels by the lines of stitching designated I9.

The front panel II! and the inner lamination I6 extend a substantial distance above the top edges of the panels II, I2 and I3 and the upper or extended part of these panels has the recesses 2E) cut therein to a depth reaching to the plane of the top edges of the side and back panels, thus forming spaced tongues. The tongues thus formed from the portions of the front panel are designated 2| and those formed from the portions of the inner lamination I6 are designated 22.

The numeral 23 generally designates a relatively wide or deep band of relatively heavy woven elastic material which extends entirely around the top of the garment to form a continuous or one piece waist band. In referring to this waist band as a continuous or one piece band it is not necessarily meant that the strip or band of elastic is unbroken since it may be formed of several pieces joined together and it is broken along one transverse line where the garment is opened at the side as hereinafter described but the use of the terms referred to is to make clear that there are no inelastic inserts in the elastic waist band 23 except for the relatively small piece of material employed for joining the edges at the opening of the garment.

The elastic waist bandv has a width or depth greater than the depth of the recesses 26 and the extensions-2| and 22 of the portions a and cl lie one upon the other and' against and across the front face of the elastic waist band 23 as shown in Figure l'. These overlying portions 2| and 22 are stitched to the elastic waist band by the lines of stitching 24- which pass around or border the recesses 2li thus forming` between the forward face of the elastic band 23 and the rear or inner side of each extension 22, a stay receiving pocket 25..

As shown in Figure l the lines of stitching Ii and the lines It" and i8 run through or extend through to the top endsy of the outside and central ones of the extensions 2| and 22.

Extending lengthwise of the inner face of each portion d of the lamination I6, substantially midway between the vertical edges of the portions, is a tape 28 which, as shown in Figure 3, is stitched along each edge only to the inner lamination portion d. Each of these tapes 2t extends to the top of a pair of the overlying extensions 2| and 22 which, as shown in Figure 1, lies midway between the inner and outer ones of these extensions. This tape forms a long narrow envelope 2l upon the innerl side of the lamination, in the upper end of which envelope is positioned a stiiening strip 28 of bone, steel, or any other material suitable for this purpose.

Asis shown in dotted outline in Figure l this stiffening stripV 28 terminatesshort of the top edge of the elastic waist band 23 and extends down to approximately the transverse center of the garment.

In the back of the garment similar tapes extend lengthwise ofthe inner sides of the panel I |V and the adjacent elastic side panels,l across the seam as indicated at 29, such tapes being secured by the linesof stitching I9. These tapes extend at their upper ends across the elastic waist band portion 23 and form envelopes 3Q, in the upper half length of each of which is positioned a reinforcing or stiening stay 3|. These stays 3|, like the stays 2% terminate at their lower ends at approximately the transverse centerY of the garment.

As will be readily apparent the lower edge of the elastic waist band portion 23 is secured by suitable stitching 32 and 33 respectively with the top edges of the adjacent side and back panels,

Disposed lengthwise of the elastic fabric side panel I3, substantially midway between the longitudinal edges vof the fabric and extending downwardly'from the top edge through approximately half the length of the garment, is an appliqued strip of fabric which is generally designated 34 and which holds the center part of the elastic panel I3 from excessive stretching across the hip.

At the opposite side the elastic panel I2 has a corresponding fabric strip 35 which is divided longitudinally through its length to provide a side opening 3S, the edges of which are secured together by means of the well known interlacing metallic fastening known in the trade as a Zipper fastener. Such fastener and its slide element which forms a part of the fastener unit, is designated 3T. Thus it will be seen that the two side strips 35 and 35 form a non-stretchable strip of relatively narrow width, longitudinally of the garment over the wider portion of the hips so that the panels I2 and |3 are not excessively stretched in these areas.

At the center of the top 'edge of the back panel there is secured the upwardly extending strip 38 of non-stretchable fabric, preferably of the same material as the panel lI, which extends across the elastic waist belt portion 23. This strip ES-restricts the stretching of the waist belt over the part lying across the spine of the wearer and it may also function as a means of covering a seam in the elastic belt although this is not its primary purpose.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen that a garment constructed in accordance with the present invention will give a smooth firm foundation support around the midriff and by reason of the novel construction wherein the fabric extensions 2| and 22 are disposed vertically in the front, with the front stays extending up into said extensions and part way across the elastic waist band, the tendency of the top edge of the band to turn outwardly or roll as a result of the pressure applied thereto by the muscles and tissues over the stomach area, will be restricted so that the line of contact between the top edge of the garment and the flesh of the wearer will not be apparent through the wearers gown.

I claim:

l. A foundation garment of the character described, comprising connected front and rear sections of non-elastic fabric, an inner lamination of non-elastic fabric overlying the inner side of the front section, a relatively wide elastic waist encircling band defining the top of the garment and secured to said sections, the front section and the inner lamination having recesses cut in the top edges thereof to a depth slightly less than the width of the waist band, the portions of the front sections and the inner lamination between the recesses extending across the front of the waist band and being stitched along their side edges to the waist band, the said portions forming pockets across the waist band, and relatively long stiffening ribs carried by said inner lamination, each of said stiffening ribs extending at its upper end into a pocket.

2. A foundation garment of the character stated in claim 1, withk elastic panels interposed between and connecting the adjacent side edges of said front and rear sections, said elastic waist encircling band being joined to the top edges of said panels.

3. A foundation garment of the character described in claim l, with an elastic panel between and connecting the front and rear sections together at each side of the garment, said Waist band being secured to the top edges of said 5 6 elastic panels, the elastic panels extending to UNITED STATES PATENTS the bottom of the garment, and a stiiening ele- Number Name Date ment extending lengthwise of the joined side 1581962 Kspert Ap1. 20 19213` edges of the rear section and the side panels, 1705616 Herbert Man 19 1929 each of said last mentioned element extending 5 2194203 Levy Jan. L1 1938 across the Width of the waist band. 211361742, Herbenel. NOV 15, 1938 2,169,585 Kops Aug. 15, 1939 HAZEL MILLER COLBY- 2,196,492 clark et a1. Apr. 9, 1940 10 2,285,619 Scott June 9, 1942 2,301,047 Hendley Nov. 3, 1942 REFERENCES CITED 2,393,612 Ballinger Jan. 29, 1946 The following references are of record in the 91e of this patent: FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 15 727,419 France Mar. 22, 1932 

